Businesses in Market Drayton support Ukraine appeal as 'appalling' crisis continues
Businesses and residents of a town in North Shropshire are showing their support for children and families caught in the conflict in Ukraine.
Vivienne Payne-Derricutt and her husband Philip Payne, who own Flores Diem florists in Market Drayton, have been selling sunflowers to raise money for the Ukraine UNICEF appeal.
Mrs Derricutt, who lives in Wem and runs the store on Market Drayton's Shropshire Street, said: "Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine."
Vivienne and Philip wanted to show their support as soon as they saw the atrocities on TV, she said, and will continue to sell the flowers and raise money as the crisis continues.
The husband-and-wife team started selling sunflowers last Thursday and have almost sold out of the flowers they had available, but will be ordering more.
Vivienne mentioned that a lot of the sunflowers that arrive at the shop actually come from Ukraine and so selling the sunflowers is almost directly supporting the country.
"As a small business we need to do it, we can't do much, but we can sell flowers," she said.
A Help Ukraine Coffee Morning is going ahead at Hinstock Memorial Hall on Chester Road, on Wednesday, between 8.45am and 12.30pm, to raise money for people in Ukraine.
Nathan Wilson and his wife Margaret Loginova, who run Margaret's Farm Merchant House on the High Street have been raising money for UNICEF, British Red Cross Crisis Appeal, UNHCR refuge agency and DEC.
The team at the delicatessen have set up a donation point for people to give money, which they will then pass on to the charities.
Mr Wilson said the criteria of physical things people need have been changing on a daily basis and charities can decide where it is best placed.
"We as a family are directly affected by the situation in Ukraine. My wife is Russian and she is appalled by what Putin is doing," Mr Wilson said.
Nathan and Margaret have been keeping in touch with friends and family in Ukraine, Russia and all over Europe and want to "encourage people to help in any way they can."
Mr Wilson said that they have also been working with the Ukraine Front Line Support group in Shrewsbury, which organised a walk last Saturday.
Mr Wilson said that demonstrators in Russia are facing prison sentences and fines of approximately 500,000 rubles, which is an "unheard of amount of money."
He raised concerns about the impact the war will have on Europe for years to come and the future of the world.
